Elevator-gate operator.



R. W. BLATZ.

ELEVATOR GATE OPERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 10. 1915.

1,1 8mm, Patented May 23,1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

R. W. BLATZ.

ELEVATOR GATE OPERATOR.

lal%%a6l. APPLICATICIIN FILED APR. 10. I915. Patented May 23 I 4SHEETS-SHEET 2.

v I 770 M31071:

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co. WASHINGTON, n. C.

R. W. BLATZ.

ELEVATOR GATE OPERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. )0. I915.

Patented May 23,1916.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3- www.

THE CDLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0., wAsumcioN, u. c.

R. w. BLATZ. ELEVATOR GATE OPERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 10, I915.

1 1 84: 6 W. Patent-ed May 23, 1916.

4 SIIEETS-SHEET 4.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOIJRAPII co-, WASHINGTON, o. 1:.

NEW dit ll hd FAN RAY W. BLATZ, OF WILKES-BARBIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELEVATOR-GATE, OPERATOR.

1 ,llSdJdMl.

Application fi1ed April 10, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RAY W. BLATZ, a citizen of the United States,residing at Wilkes- Barre, in the county of Luzerne and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inElevator-Gate Operators; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to elevators, and more especially to the door orgate mechanism employed at the landings of the elevator shaft; and theobject of the invention is to produce improved means for automaticallyopening and closing the gates or bar riers by the movements of theelevator.

The invention especially contemplates the application of this generalidea to the gates on each floor or level in a mine, and particularly onein which the elevators are built in pairs so that as one ascends theother descends, although I do not wish to be limited to this use of myinvention as the same is applicable to elevators of any type.

The invention also includes certain specific structures for carrying outthe general idea, all as hereinafter more fully described and claimedand as shown in the drawings wherein f Figure 1 is a front elevation ofthis, invention as employed at one landing of an elevator shaft having asingle elevator; and Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 3 is afront elevation of the invention as employed at one landing of anelevator shaft having twin elevators; Fig. ]E is a side elevation of thesame; Fig. 5 is a partial plan view; and Fig. 6 is a perspective detailof parts thereof on an enlarged scale. Figs. 7 8 and 9 are diagrammaticviews showing the arrangement and position parts, including the cams, asused on a twin elevator system in mines; and Fig. 10 is anenlargeddetail of certain parts wihch will be employed at the middle landing ofthe elevator shaft, as hereinafter explained.

In the drawings the letter S indicates the shaft in which on uprightguides U moves the elevator E, whose raising and lowering mechanism isherein shown as a hoisting rope H. At each floor orlevel isSpecification of Letters Patent.

' ployed Patented May 23, 191 6..

Serial No. 20,541.

disposed a door or gate G for closing the opening into the shaft S attimes when the elevator does not stand opposite, and it will beunderstood that there may be one of these gates at each side of theelevator shaft. No claim is laid on the parts thus far men tioned, noron the specific construction of the gate itself although in the presentcase I have shown gates of the lazy-tong pattern.

Opposite each floor or level and in suitable bearings 1 is mounted acam-shaft 2 in such manner that it may slide or turn in said bearings, aweight 3 normally sliding this shaft to one extreme position. Carried bythe shaft is a cam 4 which projects into the elevator shaft S, andcarried rigidly by the elevator E is a track 5 adapted to strike theface of the cam when the latter is moved into the path of the rising orfalling track, against the pull of the weight 8.

The exact mechanism for opening and closing the gates G will depend to aconsiderable extent on the character of the gates,'but in Figs. 1 and 2where I have shown horizontally moving lazy-tong gates, the followingmechanism may well be em- To the uppermost links 10 of the crossed innerlinks of the two gates is attached a weight 11 movable in guides 12supported on the framing of the elevator shaft S, and the descent ofthis weight will close the gates. From the shaft 2 projects a lever orsector 13 from which leads a rope or chain 14: passing over a pulley 15and con nected with said weight. The result is that when the track 5engages the cam 4: and turns the shaft 2, the rope or chain 1 1 drawsthe weight 11 upward and the links 10 cause the gates G to open; butwhen the track has passed the cam, the descent of the weight closes thegates and restores the cam and cam-shaft to normal position. It shouldbe noted that this mechanism does not call for the use of steam,electric, or other power, and has no springs or co1nplicated details toget out of order or become clogged by particles falling thereon. I

For sliding the cam-shaft so that the cam will'be in the path of thetrack, one mechanism is provided upon the elevator and another mechanismon the landing at each side of the elevator shaft. In Figs. 1 and 2 arock lever 20 is pivoted between its ends at I 21 and has its upper endforked at 22 to engage a groove.23 around the shaft 2, and

links'24and 25 lead from pivot points above and below the main pivot 21to hand levers orhandles 26 and 27 at opposite sides of the w in itsbearings 1 and against the force of the weight 3. v r r In Fig. 4. isshown a latch mechanism for holding the parts after the operator hasslid the shaft as just mentioned. Here the shank. 30 of the handle 27has a notch 31 adapted to'drop over a tumbler or other sharp edge 32when the handle is drawn upon; and in order to lift itout of latchingposltion a cord or rope '33 1s led upward from said shank and oversultable pulleys 34 to a point 35 on the cam/ The result'is that whenthe track strikes the camand the' latter moves, it drawson the rope 33and raises the shank 30 of the handle 27 so as to disengage thislatching or catching mech- .anism.

.Thejcam-sliding, mechanism on the elevator is also fsusceptible ofconsiderable f modification. ln Fig. 2 I have shown it .as'consistingofa trip 40 which may be projected by-hand or otherwise from the edge of'the"elevator floor and into the line of shoesl' mounted on levers 42and pivotally supported at 43 at points above" and below the,floorlineof the landing or shaftwhich weare discussing. From the remoteends of the levers 4E2, cords or ropes 44 lead over proper pulleys {l5and 4:6, and are attached toithe link'25. The result-is that'when la'person onthe elevator projects-thetrip I40 as the elevator approaches alanding, the '45.,

tripf stril'zes. a shoe and turns its lever 42,

which .motion is communicated by the cords of ropes to one-of the links25 of the sliding mechanism described above. The-same ac- 1 track willof course be, such that as the tion follows, which is that the cam-shaft2 is moved soasjto throw the cam into the pathof the track, and thelength .of the elevatorapproaches the landing in either 7 direction thetrack strikesthe cam and'turns the shaft 2, to open the gates in'themanner already described. If: the landing handle be'iprovided. with a;latch as' above mentioned, thislatch istrippedby the turning of the cam.Therefore as the; elevator 'pa'ssesfqnin either direction, when thetrack di enga es thecam the parts resume their normal positionand the,gates are closed.

. ,In other words, the mechanism on the landingand thaton the elevatorare useful only 65 for sliding the into line with the track,

but it is the movement of the elevator itself after these parts are inalinement which causes the turning of the cam-shaft and the opening ofthe gates.

Referring now to Figs. 3 to 9 for the application of this idea to amineelevator in which we will assume that twin elevators are supported by asingle rope H which passes over a pulley or drum at the top of the shaftand is turned in one direction or the other by suitable mechanism asusual the idea being that one elevator must ascend as the otherdescends. Also in these views the gates while of lazy-tong structure areso mounted that they open and close vertically, and their weight may bepartly counter-balanced, as at W. The arrangement of handles 26 and 27and their connection with the cam-shaft 2 is slightly different, as alsothe mechanism connecting the shoes 41 with the link 25; and themechanism for projecting the trip 40. In this case the tracks willproject on the contiguous sides of the elevators E and E and will standstrictly in line with each other as seen in Fig. 9, and a cam 51 will bemounted on a cam shaft 52, preferably in the manner shown in Fig. 6, sothat the shaft may rotate in and reciprocate through three contiguousbearings l. Closely mounted between two 'of said bearings is the hub ofa sprocket wheel 53 to which the shaft is connected by a feather key 54in such manner that it may slidethrough said hub but will cause itsrotation in any position; and the sprocket is connected by a chain belt55 with a second sprocket wheel 56 on an overhead shaft 57 theconstruction being such that these sprocket wheels are always inalinement and the chain will never runoff. Said overhead shaft is in twoparts mounted in suitable bearings, one part 57 being connected with theother by means of a clutch 58 which can be opened by a lever 59 which inturn is swung by drawing on a handle 60 that hangs through the elevatorshaft framework between the two gates as best indicated in Fig. 3,whereas the clutch is held normally closed by any suitable means such asthe counter-weight 61. This detail is for the purpose of entirelydisconnecting the gate-operating mechanism at one side of the shaft, soas to throw what might be called the rear gates R, R in Fig. 9 out ofconnection with the mechanism whileleaving the front gates F, F inconnection therewith; but as soon asthe operator releases his hold onthehandle 60, the counter-weight 61 closes the clutch 58 and all gatesare thereafter connected with the actuating mechanism.

of links 63, each having a slot 61 near its outer end'loosely engaging apin 65 in one arm of a bell crank lever 66. The other arm tlli of thislever is connected by a link 69 with the gate. Therefore when theoverhead or gate-operating shaft is turned in one direction to asuflicient degree, one gate is opened while the other remains closed;when the shaft is turned so that the lever 62 stands upright, both gatesare closed; and when the shaft is turned in the other direction, theother gate is opened. These movements of the shaft are effected by itsconnection with the cam-shaft through the sprockets and chain described(or any equivalent connections), and the cam 51 is turned in onedirection or the other according to which track 50 engages it. However,in the greater percentage of cases the elevators will pass up and downtheir shafts without touching the cam at all, because it must beremembered that the cams all stand normally out of the line of movementof the tracks on the elevators, and are only thrown into such line whena landing is to be made.

It might possibly happen that difficulty would arise at the middlelanding of a mine shaft where the two elevators of a pair pass eachother, and accordingly I make provision for this contingency. Referringnow more especially to Figs. 7 and 9, it will be seen that the cams 51for all landings but the middle landing are of such size that they willbe struck by the tracks 50 on either elevator E or E whereas the cam 51on the middle landing is of half size so that it will be struck by onlyone track. The result is that at this point the camshaft is turnedalways in one direction, and through the sprockets and chain theoverhead shaft 57 is also turned in one direction only. Here the lever62 is replaced by a rock lever 62 '(see Fig. 10), and links 6368 connectits extremities with bell crank levers 66, which latter in turn areconnected with the gates in the manner above described. The difference,however, is that the turning of the overhead shaft 57 simultaneouslydraws on both links which (being without the slots 6 1-) will open bothgates at this landing, and also both gates will close when the elevatorsmove away from the landing. It is not objectionable that both gates openat this central landing, because here is where the elevators pass eachother and when one stands level with the landing the other will; but themechanism above described for disconnecting the rear gates while leavingthe operator in control of the front gates is equally useful at thislanding, as those familiar with mining conditions will under stand. 7

Referring now again to Figs. i and 6, the link 25 is shown as swivellyconnected with the cam shaft by means of a yoke 70, and with the handle27 by means of a second link 25 and a rock lever 25"; and the handle 26is connected with the other end of the cam shaft by a yoke and a rocklever 26", the chain from the weight 3 being preferably attached to thislever. in Fig. 6 also the shoes 4-1 are duplicated above and below thelanding we are discussing, each pair being mounted on a shaft 43 whichin turn carries a lever 42, and these levers are connected by links 4Awith a three-arm lever 45, one arm of which is pivoted at 46' to thelink 25. The action of the device is the same as that described for thesingle elevator shown in Figs. 1 and 2, excepting that the duplicationof the shoes 41 is in order to permit them to be acted on by either ofthe twin elevators moving in either direction. I might say also thatunder the laws of some States a positive link connection between variouselements of a mining mechanism is required, instead of the cords orropes l described with ref erence to Figs. 1 and 2. However, I reservethe widest latitude in this respect as it is obviously immaterial whatare the details of connection at this point. So also with respect to themeans for projecting the trip 40. It may be moved by hand or foot asseen in Figs 3 and 4:, it may be connected with one arm of a bell cranklever 47 pivoted at its angle beneath the elevator floor, and from theother arm a rod or wire 48 leads upward and is connected with one arm ofa rock lever 48 preferably pivoted overhead on the elevator, a handle 19depending from the other arm thereof to a point within reach of anoperator standing on the elevator.

With the above construction of parts the operation of this invention isas follows: On the assumption that the structure for the twin elevatorsis in all substantial respects m5 merely a duplication of the structurefor the single elevator (excepting with regard to the middle landing),an operator approaches the shaft and desires to ascend, he signals theengineer in charge of the hoisting mechanism, and awaits a signal inreturn that his wish will be respected. We will assume that the operatorreceives such signal and draws upon the handle 27 in Fig. 2 or 27" inFig. 4, with the result that the cam i or 51 is set in line with thetrack, and, if the latch mechanism' shown in Fig. 4 is employed, theoperator may release the handle and the parts will remain in thatposition. I might here say that the same result would occur if theoperator approached from the other side and actuated the handle 26 or26. When new the elevator ascends, its track strikes the cam and causesthe partial rotation of the cam shaft, and this through the connectionsalready described opens the gate. The operator may then safely step ontothe elevator although the shaftbe almost in darkness, and he gives asignal to the engineer, the elevator starts upward, 13o

and the gates close automatically.- On the otherhand, when anoperator-desires to descend and get off at a certain level, he inspeeddecreasing he knows he is approaching his landing. At this time heprojects the trip 40 by any means which are provided on the elevator,with the result that the trip engages one of the. shoes 41 and this,through its connection with the link, slides the cam shaft, puts the camin line with the track, and automatically opens the gate in the manneralready described. The same operation takes place at the middle landingwhere the elevators cross, excepting that the link mechanism shown inFig. 10 causes the opening of both gates whenever the cam 51 isactuated.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with an elevator, an upright track fixed thereto,agate across each landing, means for normally closing it,

a shaft rotating and sliding in bearings at each landing, a camfast'thereon, and means for sliding the shaft to hold said cam nor-.mally out of line with said track of handles at both sides of thelanding, rock levers actuated by the movements of the handles,

swivel connectionsbetween said levers and the cam shaft, a shoe in theelevator shaft connected with one rock lever, and a trip on the elevatoradapted to be manually projected into the path of the shoe.

2L The combination'with anelevator shaft, gates across both sides ofeach landing,

, means for normally closing them, an eleand sliding in its bearings,connections between 1t and said gates for opemng them" va-t'or, aprojection thereon, a shaft rotating when the shaft is rotated, a camfast on said shaft, and means for normally sliding the 45:

shaft in one direction to cause the cam to stand out of line with saidprojection; of, a

' handle at each landing,co'nnections between it and the cam shaft forsliding the latter by the 'movement of the handle, a latch for holdingthe handle in one'of its extreme positions, and connections between;;tlie latch each landing, means for normally closing it,

movement; I r V g lf3fiThe combination with an elevator, an

and cam for disengaging the formerfrom the can begms its; rotary saidhandle when uori 'ht "track fiXed thereto a ate. across ashaft rotatingand sliding in bearings at the-landing, and a cam fast thereon stand-.ing'normally out of line withsaid' track; of j W p a link connecting itwith said cam shaft, ashoe in the elevator shaftconnectedwithsaidlink,'a trip. on the elevator adapted'to be projected into the path'of'the' shoe, a latch foriholding the hans a handle at the" landing,

dle in one of its extreme positions, and connections between the latchand cam for disengaging theformer from said handle when the cam beginsits rotary movement.

4. The combination with an elevator, an upright track fixed thereto, agate across each landing, a weight for normally closing it, a shaftrotating and sliding in bearings at each landing, a cam fast thereon,and a weight sliding the shaft to hold said cam normally out of linewith said track; of a handle at the landing, a link connecting it withsaid cam shaft, :1, shoe in the elevator shaft connected with said link,and a trip on the elevator adapted to be projected into the path of theshoe.

5. The combination with an elevator, an

upright trackfixed thereto, a gate across each landing, means fornormally closing it, and mechanism for opening it including a shaftrotating and sliding in its bearings and a cam thereon standing normallyout of line with said track; of a handle at the landing for sliding saidcam shaft, a shoe in the elevator shaft connected with said cam shaft,and a trip 011 the elevator adapted to be projected into the path of theshoe. 6..1he combination with an elevator, an upright track fixedthereto, a gate across each landing, means for normally closing it, andmechanism for opening it including a cam and its shaft rotatably andslidably mounted; of means for normally sliding said shaft in onedirection to cause its cam to stand out of line with said track, ahandle at the landing for sliding said shaft in the other direction,movable shoes in the elevator shaft above and below the landing,connections between them and said shaft for sliding the latter, and atrip on the elevator adapted to be manually projected into the path ofsaid shoes. 7. The combination with an elevator shaft, gates across bothsides of a landing, means for normally closing them, an elevator, aprojection thereon, a shaft rotating and sliding in its-bearings,connections between it and said gates for opening them when the shaft isrotated, a cam fast on said shaft, and means for normally sliding theshaft in'one direction to cause the cam to stand out of line with saidprojection; of a rock lever connected with said cam shaft, and handlesat both sides of the elewhenthe-shaft is rotated, a cam fast on saidshaft, and means for. normally sliding the shaftin one direction tocause the cam to stand out of line with said projection; of

handles at both sides of said elevator shaft, links leading from saidhandles, and a rock lever connected to the links and cam shaftforsliding the latter by the movement of either handle.

9. The combination with an elevator shaft, gates across both sides of alanding, means for normally closing them, an elevator, a projectionthereon, a shaft rotating and sliding in its bearings, connectionsbetween it and said gates for opening them when the shaft is rotated, acam fast on said shaft, and means for normally sliding the shaft in onedirection to cause the cam to stand out of line with said projection; ofhandles at both sides of said elevator shaft, links leading from saidhandles, connections between the links and cam shaft for sliding thelatter by the movement of either handle, a latch for holding one handlein one of its extreme positions, and connections between the latch andcam for disengaging the former from said handle when the cam begins itsrotary movement.

10. The combination with an elevator shaft, gates across both sides of alanding, means for normally closing them, an elevator, a projectionthereon, a shaft rotating and sliding in its bearings, connectionsbetween it and said gates for opening them when the shaft is rotated, acam fast on said shaft, and means for normally sliding the shaft in onedirection to cause the cam to stand out of line with said projection; ofhandles at both sides of said elevator shaft, links leading from saidhandles, connections between the links and cam shaft for sliding thelatter by the movement of either handle, one of said handles having anotch in its lower edge, a fixed element with which said notch engageswhen this handle is moved to one of its extreme positions and dropped,and a cord led from this handle to said cam and drawn upon to raise thehandle when the cam turns. Y

11. The combination with an elevator shaft having a normally closed gateat each landing, an elevator having a projection, a shaft rotating andsliding in its bearings, a cam fast on the shaft and adapted to beturned when struck by said projection, means normally sliding the shaftto hold the cam out of the path of the projection, and connectionsbetween the shaft and gate for opening the latter when the shaft turns;of a link swiveled to said cam shaft, a handle whose shank is pivotallyconnected with said link and provided with a notch in its lower edge, afixed element with which said notch engages when the handle is drawnoutward and dropped, a cord leading from the handle to said cam, andpulleys over which the cord passes.

12. The combination with an elevator shaft having a normally closed gateat each landing, an elevator having a projection, a shaft rotating andsliding in its bearings, a cam fast on the shaft and adapted to beturned when struck by said projection, means normally sliding the shaftto hold the cam out of the path of the projection, and connectionsbetween the shaft and gate for opening the latter when the shaft turns;of a link swiveled to said cam shaft, a handle whose shank is pivotallyconnected with said link and provided with a notch in its lower edge, afixed element with which said notch engages when the handle is drawnoutward and dropped, a cord leading from the handle pulleys over whichthe cord passes to the cam, levers pivoted in the elevator shaft aboveand below the landing and carrying shoes, a trip on the elevator adaptedto be manually projected so as to engage said shoes, and meansconnecting said lever with said link for drawing on the latter when thetrip strikes either shoe.

13. The combination with an elevator shaft, oppositely moving twinelevators therein, tracks on the elevators projecting toward each other,gates at each landing,

and means for normally closing them; of

a cam shaft rotating and sliding in bearings between said gates andhaving a cam, means for normally sliding the shaft to put the cam out ofalinement with said tracks manually operable means for sliding saidshaft to put the cam into such alinement, and connections betweencertain of the gates and shaft for opening the former when the latter isrotated.

14. The combination with an elevator shaft, oppositely moving twinelevators therein, tracks on the elevators projecting toward each other,gates at each landing, and means for normally closing them; of a camshaft rotating and sliding in bearings between said gates and having acam, means for normally sliding the shaft to put the cam out ofalinement withsaid tracks, manually operable means for sliding saidshaft to put the cam into such alinement, an overhead shaft above thelanding, connections between it and the cam shaft for causing suchshafts to turn in unison, bell-crank levers each having one armconnected with a gate, a lever fast on the overhead shaft, andconnections between it and the other arms of the bell-crank levers, forthe purpose set forth.

15. The combination with an elevator shaft, oppositely moving twinelevators therein, tracks on the elevators projecting toward each other,gates at each landing, and means for normally closing them; of a camshaft rotating and sliding in bearings between said gates and having acam, means for normally sliding the shaft to put the cam out ofalinement with said tracks, manually operable means for sliding saidshaft to put the cam into such alinesaid bell-crank levers engaging saidslots, 10 ment, an overhead shaft above the landing, for the purpose setforth.

connections between itand the cam shaft In testimony whereof I afiix mysignature for causing such shafts to turn in unison, in presence of twoWitnesses.

bell-crank levers eachhaving one arm con- RAY W BLATZ nected With agate, a lever fast on the overhead shafts, links pivoted at their innerWitnesses: ends to said lever and having their outer F. G. CAMPBELL,ends slotted, and pins in the other arms of CATHERINE M. KANE.

Copies of this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of latents.

Washington, D. G.

